Mexican restaurants should be classified by regional specialty, or at least with some other descriptor, because "Mexican" is too broad a term, at least in this part of the country where there is a Mexican restaurant on nearly every corner.

The New El Portal Restaurant serves basic Sonoran-style Mexican food. Ex-politico Mary Rose Wilcox bought the old El Portal in 1999 and renovated the interior with the help of Mexican craftsmen. The 56-year-old restaurant has historical significance, most notably as a gathering place for prominent Hispanic leaders to discuss issues important to the Grant Park Barrio during the restaurant's early days.

The outside of the restaurant still says "El Portal," not "The New El Portal." What is relatively new is the attractive interior: warm, gold walls accented with brick, acid-washed concrete floors, heavy wooden tables and chairs, and a couple of flat-screen televisions blaring CNN. It's best to avoid tables near the TV if the place isn't full because they are distracting. If the place is full, which it often is at lunchtime, it will be pleasantly noisy wherever you sit.

When full of diners, the room is engagingly festive. Tables of downtown office workers sit next to construction workers, who sit next to families with small children. Wilcox works the room, greeting old friends and welcoming new customers. Service is not fast, but plenty friendly. Our server made three separate trips to deliver our drinks.

Sonoran Mexican food is milder than other Mexican regional specialties, and El Portal's fare is milder than most others in the same category. It's a good place to take your Mexican food-phobic friends, because other than the fresh salsa that accompanies the basket of crisp, warm chips, there is nothing spicy on the menu.

I tend to judge Mexican restaurants by the taste and quality of their beans and rice. If they can't get those basic staples right, then there isn't much hope for the rest of the menu. El Portal's beans are some of the best I've tasted anywhere. Thick, with just the right balance between mashed and whole beans, the underlying smoky flavor makes me smile. The rice is moist, tender, and though I would prefer a bit more tomato flavor, it's well seasoned.

Dipping into the breakfast menu, we sample the chilaquilas with scrambled eggs ($7), served with a side of boiled potatoes, those yummy beans, and a fresh, hot tortilla. The scrambled egg is fluffy and tasty enough and the flavorful potatoes taste faintly of rich chicken broth, but the chilaquilas, torn day-old corn tortillas doused in a red chile sauce lack chile flavor. Chiles don't have to be hot to have flavor, but this sauce has neither heat nor much taste.

The flauta plate ($7.75), three rolled and fried corn tortillas, stuffed with a modest amount of dry chicken is almost saved by a creamy guacamole topping. Fortunately, a generous serving of rice and beans comes with the flautas. A red and green mixed burro with chicken ($5) is plagued by the same flavor problem as the chilaquilas - no chile flavor. On the other hand, a tostada plate ($7.50) is marvelous. Two extra crispy flat corn tortillas topped with a heap of those smoky beans and covered with ice cold shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes and finely shredded Mexican cheese is the epitome of tasty Mexican home cooking.

A side of calabacitas ($5), enough for two to share, is my favorite dish on the menu, not counting those unforgettable beans. Casserole-style zucchini squash and onions speckled with tomatoes and covered with bubbling melted cheese is Mexican comfort food worth sharing. Fill up on the rice and beans because El Portal doesn't serve dessert. No flan, no nothing. Drinks are typical sodas and tea (no alcoholic beverages) and horchata ($2), a milky sweet drink flavored with vanilla and cinnamon.

El Portal is obviously appealing to lots of folks, evidenced by the daily lunch rush and full parking lot. Inside, the cozy room buzzes with an upbeat vibe, and is frankly more vibrant than the tame food. However, if I judge El Portal solely on the quality of their beans and rice I have to give them a thumbs-up. I just can't forget those scrumptious smoky beans.

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